Systems and methods for pet insurance underwriting, rating, adjustments, and enrollment

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for pet insurance enrollment, adjustment, and utilization are provided herein. In some embodiments, one or more pet insurance offerings and a pet insurance enrollment process are available to a user through a mobile application on a mobile computing device. In some embodiments, a preliminary premium rate is calculated based on background information provided by a user through the mobile application. In some embodiments, a pet tracker forms a portion of the system, and an adjusted premium rate can be calculated based on pet monitoring data received directly or indirectly from the pet tracker. In some embodiments, pet monitoring data acquired from a plurality of pet trackers are used to develop, inform, and refine one or more pet insurance actuarial models.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. National Stage Application under 35 U.S.C.371 for PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US16/52154, filed Sep. 16, 2016,which claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/220,571, filed Sep. 18, 2015, theentirety of both of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to the field of pet insurance, and morespecifically, to devices, systems, and methods for acquiring andprocessing data for use in pet insurance underwriting, rating, andadjustment processes, and also to devices, systems, and methods foroffering, reviewing, and selecting pet insurance options.

BACKGROUND

Pet ownership in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970swith over 60% of U.S. households now including at least one pet. Ingeneral, Americans care deeply about their pets; over 80% of Americansview their pet as a member of the family. This increased popularity inand affection towards pets has resulted in increased spending on pets.More than $55 billion was spent on pets in the United States in 2013,and a 40% rise in veterinary costs has been observed in the last fiveyears.

Keeping pets healthy and safe can be a challenge. For example, anowner's sedentary lifestyle may lead to a sedentary lifestyle for theowner's pets. Over 50% of dogs and cats in the United States areoverweight or obese due to improper nutrition and/or lack of dailyactivity. As with humans, sedentary lifestyles and obesity in petsincreases the risk of developing chronic conditions such heart disease,high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, and osteoarthritis. Additionally,certain pet breeds are prone to various genetic conditions and diseases.

In addition to preventing and treating chronic and acute illnesses, petowners striving to keep their pets healthy and safe may have to devoteconsiderable resources and attention to ensuring their pets do notwander away from home. Pets that wander away face serious risks; forexample, such pets may be hit by a vehicle or permanently lost orstolen. In the United States, ten million pets are lost each year andfewer than ten percent ever return home.

Pet insurance is one of the best ways to reduce healthcare costs andkeep pets safe, yet pet insurance is underutilized in the United States.Only 1.5% of U.S. pets are covered by insurance. Such underutilizationmay contribute to inflated health insurance prices. For example, manyowners who self-select for pet insurance may be those with high riskpets, and such risks are currently spread across a relatively smallpopulation pool.

A limited amount of reliable data and a lack of advanced actuarialmodels may also contribute to inflated health insurance prices.Typically, insurance providers engage in insurance underwriting andrating processes in which they assess a risk level associated with theasset to be insured and determine an appropriate insurance policy priceto protect against that risk. Human health insurance and auto insurancepolicy providers rely on highly refined actuarial models, based on tensof millions of insured bodies and reliable data from medical records,police reports, etc., to determine appropriate insurance premiums. Incontrast, pet insurance premiums may be set without access to reliabledata. Pet insurance policy providers often rely primarily on basic dataprovided by a pet owner, such as a pet's breed, age, sex, location ofresidence, general health, and preexisting conditions. Pet insuranceproviders often lack effective means to verify the accuracy of theowner-provided data. As a result, a pet's insurance rating may have arelatively high level of uncertainty. Insurance premiums may be inflatedto protect the insurance provider from financial loss in light of thisuncertainty.

Consequently, the relatively high cost of pet insurance deters many petowners from obtaining insurance for their pets. Moreover, for thoseinterested in pet insurance, the process of comparing quotes andenrolling in pet insurance can be cumbersome.

Accordingly, a need exists for improvements in the field of petinsurance.

SUMMARY

In particular, needs exist for improved data acquisition, dataverification, actuarial models, and user experiences in the field of petinsurance. The present disclosure is directed to devices, systems, andmethods that fill one or more of these needs.

One aspect of the disclosure is directed to a method of individualizingpet insurance premiums based on acquired pet monitoring data. In variousembodiments, the method includes receiving pet monitoring data for a petfrom at least one sensor on a pet monitoring device. The pet monitoringdata may include, for example, a detected location, activity level,extreme temperature event, or impact event. The method further includestransmitting pet monitoring information to an insurer computing device.The pet monitoring information of various embodiments includes all or aportion of the pet monitoring data. For example, the pet monitoringinformation may include a stream of all collected pet monitoring data, astream of one or more parameters of interest, an aggregation of petmonitoring data collected in a given timeframe, an aggregation of petmonitoring data collected from a population of pets, or plots, averages,or other metrics calculated from aggregate data. The method furtherincludes receiving an adjusted premium rate for the pet from the insurercomputing device. The adjusted premium rate of various embodiments isdetermined by the insurer computing device by adjusting a preliminarypremium rate based on the pet monitoring information.

In some embodiments, the method also includes: first receivingbackground data about the pet from a user via a user input, transmittingthe background data to the insurer computing device such that theinsurer can calculate the preliminary premium rate based on thebackground data, and presenting an insurance offering that includes thepreliminary premium rate to the user for purchase via a user interface.

In some such embodiments, transmitting the background data to theinsurer computing device includes transmitting the background data to aplurality of insurer computing devices. In such embodiments, the methodfurther includes: receiving an insurance quote from each of theplurality of insurer computing devices, and selecting the best quote andcorresponding preliminary premium rate to present to the user. In somesuch embodiments, the method also includes negotiating, with an insurer,the best quote on the user's behalf. The best quote may be the lowestquote and/or a quote that best matches the insurance preferences of theuser.

In some embodiments, background data about the pet includes at least oneof an age, sex, breed, place of residence, proportion of time spentoutdoors, vaccine record, neuter record, microchip record, preexistinghealth condition, other medical history, or owner insurance preference.In some embodiments, the background data about the pet is manuallyentered by a user through a graphical user interface on a personalcomputing device. In some embodiments, the background data about the petis automatically pulled from a web-based medical record or an image of aphysical medical record. In some embodiments, the pet monitoring datareceived from the sensor is used to verify and supplement the backgrounddata received from the user.

Additionally or alternatively, the method of some embodiments furtherincludes: transmitting the pet monitoring information and the backgrounddata to an alternative insurer; receiving an alternative quote from thealternative insurer based, at least in part, on the pet monitoringinformation and the background data; comparing the adjusted insurancerate and the alternative quote to determine which insurance package isbetter for the user; and transferring the user's insurance coverage tothe alternative insurer if the alternative quote is better for the userthan the adjusted insurance rate.

In some embodiments of the method, the detected location is receivedfrom a GPS tracker. In some embodiments, the activity level is receivedfrom at least one of a gyroscope or an accelerometer. In someembodiments, the extreme temperature event data is received from athermistor or other temperature-responsive sensor. In some embodiments,the impact event data is received from an accelerometer. In someembodiments, the pet monitoring data further includes a repetitivemotion of the pet, which may be detected, for example, by anaccelerometer. In some such embodiments, the repetitive motion isselected from a group consisting of: breathing, heart beating, andscratching.

In some embodiments, the method further includes building an actuarialmodel based on the pet monitoring data.

In some embodiments, the method is repeated periodically to update theadjusted premium rate based on recently acquired pet monitoring data.

In some embodiments, the method is performed by a server or a computingdevice connected via a wired or wireless communication connection to theserver.

An additional aspect of the disclosure is directed to another method ofindividualizing pet insurance premiums based on acquired pet monitoringdata. The disclosed method may be performed, for example, by a serverfunctioning as both a pet management application server and an insuranceserver. Such a server may be managed or overseen by an insuranceprovider. In various embodiments, the method includes: receivingbackground data about a pet from a user via a user input; calculating apreliminary premium rate based on the background data; presenting aninsurance offering, which includes the preliminary premium rate, to theuser for purchase via a user interface; receiving a selection from theuser to purchase an insurance plan associated with the insuranceoffering; enrolling the user in the insurance plan; receiving petmonitoring data for the pet from at least one sensor on a pet monitoringdevice; and adjusting the preliminary premium rate based on the petmonitoring data. In some such embodiments, the pet monitoring dataincludes at least one of a: detected location, activity level, extremetemperature event, impact event, and repetitive motion.

Another aspect of the disclosure is directed to a system configured toperform one or more of: providing, enrolling a user in, and adjusting, apet insurance offering. In various embodiments, the system includes awireless pet monitoring device, a mobile computing device, a petmanagement application server, and optionally, an insurer computingdevice.

In various embodiments, the wireless pet monitoring device has one ormore sensors. The one or more sensors are configured to detect petmonitoring data, including at least one of a: current location, activitylevel, extreme temperature event, impact event, and a repetitive motion.

In some embodiments, the pet monitoring device is configured to transmitthe detected pet monitoring data to a mobile computing device forfurther transmission to the application server. In other embodiments,the pet monitoring device is configured to transmit the detected petmonitoring data directly to the server.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device is configured toreceive user inputs indicative of background data about a pet andtransmit the background data to the server. The mobile computing devicemay additionally be configured to receive the detected pet monitoringdata from the pet monitoring device and transmit the pet monitoring datato the server. Additionally, the mobile computing device may beconfigured to receive information about insurance offerings, including apreliminary premium rate and an adjusted premium rate, from the serverand display the information about insurance offerings to the user via auser output device. The mobile computing device may be configured toreceive a user's selection of an insurance offering and transmit theselection to the server.

In some embodiments, the pet management application server is configuredto receive the background data, calculate a preliminary premium ratebased on the background data, receive the detected pet monitoring data,adjust the preliminary premium rate based on the detected pet monitoringdata, and transmit the adjusted preliminary premium rate to the mobilecomputing device. In some embodiments, the server is configured todevelop, refine, or apply an actuarial model based on the pet monitoringdata.

In other embodiments, the server is configured to receive the backgrounddata from the mobile computing device and transmit the background datato the insurer computing device for calculating a preliminary premiumrate. The server of some such embodiments is further configured to:receive pet monitoring data from the pet monitoring device or the mobilecomputing device; transmit pet monitoring information, including atleast a portion of the pet monitoring data, to the insurer computingdevice; and receive an adjusted premium rate from the insurer computingdevice, the adjusted premium rate having been determined by the insurercomputing device by adjusting the preliminary premium rate based on thepet monitoring information. The server may further transmit the adjustedpremium rate to the mobile computing device and transmit a user-selectedinsurance offering to the insurer computing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing is a summary, and thus, necessarily limited in detail. Theabove-mentioned aspects, as well as other aspects, features, andadvantages of the present technology will now be described in connectionwith various embodiments, with reference made to the followingaccompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of asystem for pet insurance enrollment, adjustment, and utilization.

FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of one embodiment of amobile computing device forming a portion of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a graphical user interface providedon a mobile computing device in one embodiment of the system.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a pet collarhaving a pet tracker.

FIG. 5 illustrates a functional block diagram of one embodiment of a pettracker forming a portion of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a graphical user interface providedon a mobile computing device in one embodiment of the system.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a graphical user interfaceprovided on a mobile computing device in one embodiment of the system.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of a method forrating, offering, enrolling a user in, and adjusting pet insurance.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow chart of one embodiment of a method forpersonalizing pet insurance.

The illustrated embodiments are merely examples and are not intended tolimit the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is not intended to limit the invention tothese described embodiments, but rather to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use this invention. Other embodiments may beutilized and modifications may be made without departing from the spiritor the scope of the subject matter presented herein. Aspects of thedisclosure, as described and illustrated herein, can be arranged,combined, and designed in a variety of different configurations, all ofwhich are explicitly contemplated and form part of this disclosure.

Throughout and within this specification, one or more publications maybe referenced to more fully describe the state of the art. Thedisclosures of each of these references are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties as though they also form part of thisdisclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, each technical or scientific term used hereinhas the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this disclosure belongs.

As used in the description and claims, the singular form “a”, “an” and“the” include both singular and plural references unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term “an insuranceprovider” may include, and is contemplated to include, a plurality ofinsurance providers. At times, the claims and disclosure may includeterms such as “a plurality,” “one or more,” or “at least one;” however,the absence of such terms is not intended to mean, and should not beinterpreted to mean, that a plurality is not conceived.

The term “about” or “approximately,” when used before a numericaldesignation or range (e.g., to define a distance), indicatesapproximations which may vary, for example, by (+) or (−) 5%. Allnumerical ranges provided herein are inclusive of the stated start andend numbers. The term “substantially” indicates mostly (i.e., greaterthan 50%) or essentially all of a substance, component, or device.

As used herein, the term “comprising” or “comprises” is intended to meanthat the devices, systems, and methods include the recited elements, andmay additionally include any other elements. “Consisting essentially of”shall mean that the devices, systems, and methods include the recitedelements and exclude other elements of essential significance to thecombination for the stated purpose. Thus, a system or method consistingessentially of the elements as defined herein would not exclude othermaterials, features, or steps that do not materially affect the basicand novel characteristic(s) of the claimed invention. “Consisting of”shall mean that the devices, systems, and methods include the recitedelements and exclude anything more than a trivial or inconsequentialelement or step. Embodiments defined by each of these transitional termsare within the scope of this disclosure.

Disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods for offering,calculating, reviewing, adjusting, selecting, supporting, and utilizingpet insurance. Various disclosed embodiments improve data acquisition,data verification, actuarial models, and user experiences in the fieldof pet insurance. In some embodiments, one or more pet insuranceofferings and a pet insurance enrollment process are available to a userthrough a mobile application on a mobile computing device. In someembodiments, the entire pet insurance user experience occurs on themobile computing device through the mobile application. Such a mobileapplication is described in more detail herein.

In some embodiments, a preliminary premium rate is calculated based onbackground information provided by a user through the mobileapplication. In some embodiments, a pet tracker additionally forms aportion of the system. In some such embodiments, pet monitoring dataacquired from one or more pet trackers are used to develop, inform, andrefine one or more pet insurance actuarial models. The pet insuranceactuarial models are then used, along with a particular pet's petmonitoring data, to calculate an adjusted premium rate, which isadjusted to better match the pet's risk profile.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a pet management system, which may beused for pet insurance enrollment, adjustment, and utilization. Asillustrated, in some embodiments, such a system 100 includes a mobilecomputing device 110 operated by a user referred to herein as a petowner. The “pet owner” referred to herein may be any individualresponsible for caring for and/or insuring a pet. The system furtherincludes a cloud-based server 120. The system 100 may additionallyinclude a pet monitoring device, also referred to herein as a pettracker 130. In some embodiments, the system also includes one or moreadditional user computing devices 140 operated by other communitymembers to whom the pet owner is connected. The other community membersmay include, but are not limited to, one or more of a veterinarian, dogwalker, pet sitter, neighbor, family, or friend of the pet owner. Insome embodiments, the system 100 also includes an insurer computingdevice 150. The insurer computing device 150 may be operated, managed,controlled, maintained, or owned by an insurance provider.

As shown, in various embodiments, at least the pet owner's mobilecomputing device 110 is coupled to the server 120 via a bidirectionalcommunication link. In particular, the mobile computing device 110 maybe connected to the server 120 via a CDMA, GSM, LTE, or other cellularnetwork, via Wi-Fi®, or via any other suitable wireless communicationprotocol. In various embodiments, if a community member computing device140 or insurer computing device 150 is present in the system, suchdevices are also connected to the server 120 via a bidirectionalcommunication link, such as a cellular network, Wi-Fi, or other wirelesscommunication protocol. In some embodiments, the pet tracker 130, ifpresent, is similarly connected to the server 120 via a wirelesscommunication protocol. Additionally or alternatively, in someembodiments, the pet tracker 130 is wirelessly connected to the petowner's mobile computing device 110. The pet tracker 130 may beconnected to the mobile computing device 110 via a nearfieldcommunications (NFC) protocol, a low energy Bluetooth® protocol, orother radiofrequency (RF) communication protocol. In some suchembodiments, the pet tracker 130 is wirelessly connectable to both themobile computing device 110 and the server 120. In other embodiments,the pet tracker 130 is connectable only to the mobile computing device110, with the mobile computing device 110 acting as an intermediary,relaying data between the pet tracker 130 and the server 120. In someembodiments, communication between the pet tracker 130 and the server120 or mobile computing device 110 is bidirectional; in otherembodiments, communication is unidirectional with data pushed from thepet tracker 130 to one or both of the server 120 and the mobilecomputing device 110.

In some embodiments, the mobile computing device 110 is a smartphone,wearable computing device, notebook computer, laptop computer, tablet,or other portable computing device. The cloud-based server 120 of someembodiments is an application server, an internet server, a databaseserver, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the server 120includes a connected computing device, input device, and/or outputdevice, through which a system administrator can interact with, andadjust, the instructions and data stored within the server. In someembodiments, the pet tracker 130 is a portable, wearable device havingat least one sensor stored thereon. The pet tracker 130 is configured toacquire data pertaining to the activity or environment of a pet. Theadditional user computing devices 140 and insurer computing device 150may each be formed of any suitable computing device, such as a portablecomputing device or desktop computer, and the computing devices 140, 150may be communicatively coupled to the server 120 through wired orwireless connections, configured to access information from the servervia the internet or a mobile interface.

A functional block diagram of one embodiment of a pet owner's mobilecomputing device 200 is provided in FIG. 2. While numbered uniquely, oneskilled in the art will appreciate that the mobile computing device 110of the system 100 may be formed of any embodiment of a mobile computingdevice described herein and may include any of or all the functionalcomponents described with respect to the mobile computing device 200 ofFIG. 2. Moreover, although illustrated separately, it is to beappreciated that the various functional blocks of the mobile computingdevice 200 need not be separate structural elements.

The mobile computing device 200 of various embodiments includes aprocessor 210, for example, a general purpose microprocessor. In variousembodiments, the processor 210 is coupled, via one or more buses, to thememory 220 in order to read information from and write information tothe memory 220. The memory 220 may be any suitable computer-readablemedium that stores computer-readable instructions for execution bycomputer-executable components. In various embodiments, thecomputer-readable instructions include software stored in anon-transitory format, some such software having been downloaded as anapplication 222 onto the memory 220 of the mobile computing device 200.The processor 210, in conjunction with the software stored in the memory220, executes an operating system and the application 222. Some methodsdescribed elsewhere herein may be programmed as software instructionscontained within the application 222 stored in the memory 220 andexecutable by the processor 210.

In various embodiments, a power supply, such as a battery 230 isincluded within the mobile computing device 200 and is electricallycoupled to provide power to the processor 210 and other electroniccomponents. The battery 230 may be rechargeable or disposable.

The mobile computing device 200 of various embodiments includes aplurality of interfaces, such as a wireless network interface 240 and auser interface 250. The wireless network interface 240 of someembodiments includes a receiver and transmitter for bi-directionalcommunication. The receiver receives and demodulates data received overa communication network. The transmitter prepares data according to oneor more network standards and transmits data over a communicationnetwork. In some embodiments, a communication antenna in the form of atransceiver acts as both a receiver and a transmitter. The userinterface 250 may include one or more input/output (I/O) devices. Insome embodiments, the user input device includes one or more of abutton, switch, touchscreen, and keyboard, and the output deviceincludes one or more of a display screen, light display, audio output,and haptic output.

In various embodiments of systems and methods provided herein, a petmanagement application 222 is downloaded onto the mobile computingdevice 200 by a pet owner. The pet management application 222 includesone or more of a records management module 224, an insurance module 226,and a tracking module 228.

The records management module 224 may be used by a pet owner to manage apet's immunization record, other veterinary records, veterinary bills,pet photographs, and other documents. The pet management application 222of various embodiments includes a graphical user interface displayableon a touchscreen, and by using an input device and the graphical userinterface, the pet owner can enter pet background data. Background datamay include the pet's name, address, age, birthdate, sex, species,breed, health conditions, allergies, dietary restrictions, a spay/neuterstatus (i.e., a fixed status), a microchip status, a proportion of timespent outdoors, immunization record, emergency contact information, aveterinarian's contact information, date of last veterinary visit, andother data related to the pet. In some embodiments, the backgroundinformation is entered manually (e.g., by typing it). In otherembodiments, the background information may be pulled from anotherapplication or website where such information is already stored orpulled from one or more imported documents, as described below. Oneembodiment of a user interface for receiving and displaying suchbackground data is provided in FIG. 3. The graphical user interface ofthe pet management application 222 may further be configured to receive,store, and display tracked historical data such as a pet's food intake,exercise routine, and sleep schedule. The graphical user interface mayadditionally or alternatively be configured to display a calendar orrecord of future events such as a pet's planned pet walker schedule, petsitter schedule, pet daycare schedule, veterinary appointments,scheduled playdates, or other appointments associated with petownership. Some of the user-entered information is saved in short-termor long-term storage on the mobile computing device 200, and at leastsome of the information is transmitted wirelessly via the communicationantenna to the server 120 for storage in one or more databases.

In some embodiments, the records management module 224 may additionallyor alternatively include a photograph storage option. In some suchembodiments, an option to photograph a pet is available for selectionwithin the user interface. When selected, a user may take and storephotographs onto the mobile computing device 200 using camerafunctionality built into the mobile computing device. The user may alsobe able to access other photographs stored on the mobile computingdevice 200 and create electronic photo albums for the user's pet. Thephotographs and electronic photo albums may be stored in memory on themobile computing device 200 or transmitted to the server 120.

The photograph storage option may additionally or alternatively enable apet owner to import veterinary bills, records, or other physicalpet-related documentation into the pet management application 222 forstorage. In such embodiments, a user may select an option to importdocumentation via a photograph and be prompted to photograph thedocumentation of interest. In some embodiments, the photograph is storedas an image file on the mobile computing device 200 or on the connectedserver 120. In some embodiments, the photograph is converted intomachine-encoded text using optical character recognition to improve datastorage and retrieval. In some such embodiments, the system isconfigured such that background data about the pet can be identified inan imported document, copied, and added to a database of storedbackground data.

In various embodiments, the photographs, electronic photo albums,background data, and other information entered into the pet managementapplication 222 using the records management module 224 may be shareablewith other users. In some embodiments, a pet owner can select whichinformation to share and with whom. Information may be shareabledirectly through the application 222 with other community membersaccessing the information on their additional user computing devices140. In some embodiments, information is shareable by emailing ortexting to another user or exporting to another application. In thisway, a pet owner may be able to share information of interest with afamily member, pet sitter, veterinarian, or other interested individual.In some embodiments, if a pet goes missing, a pet owner can select togenerate a community alert which shares some of the pet information withcommunity members on computing devices 140 in or near the vicinity inwhich the pet was last seen or detected.

As stated above, the pet management application 222 of some embodimentsalso includes an insurance module 226. The insurance module 226 enablesa pet owner to explore pet insurance options, sign up for pet insurance,receive personalized premium rates, and submit claims to an insuranceprovider. In some such embodiments, the graphical user interface of themobile computing device 200 may be configured to display one or morequestions, during the application downloading and initializing processwhich the pet owner must answer to complete setup of the pet managementapplication. For example, the user may be prompted to enter backgrounddata about the pet, such as any of the background data listed above.Additionally, the pet owner may be prompted to answer questions tailoredto understanding what the pet owner desires or needs in a pet insuranceplan. The questions may include questions about the pet owner's incomeor financial status, preferred deductible amounts, preferred co-pays,etc. Questions may be tailored to determine what items an owner wishesto pay for out of pocket and what items an owner expects to have coveredby insurance. For example, questions may probe whether a pet owner:wishes to pay for preventative health visits, only desires catastrophiccoverage, desires insurance that covers accidents and injuries, iscomfortable with an insurance having a maximum coverage limit, etc. Someof or all the background data and insurance preferences entered by a petowner through the user interface are transmitted to the server 120, andoptionally, to an insurer computing device 150. The background data isthen used to identify one or more suitable insurance offerings and apreliminary premium rate.

In some embodiments, the pet management application 222 is configured todisplay a plurality of insurance plan offerings to a pet owner and isfurther configured to receive a selection of one of the insurance plansfrom the pet owner. In other embodiments, a server-side component isconfigured to curate the insurance offerings based on the backgrounddata and insurance preferences and present to the pet owner one option,or less than all available options, which best match the pet owner'sneeds and preferences.

In some embodiments having an insurance module, upon user selection of apet insurance offering, the graphical user interface displays an optionto complete the insurance application and enrollment process through themobile computing device 200. In such embodiments, text windows or otherprompts are displayed through which a user can enter all personal andfinancial information needed for the application and enrollment process.In some embodiments, the completed insurance contract is presented tothe pet owner through the application for review and signature. In somesuch embodiments, the graphical user interface is configured such thatthe user can electronically sign within the mobile application. In otherembodiments, the pet owner is provided with a selectable link fromwithin the application or in a system-generated text or email message.In such embodiments, selecting the link directs the pet owner to a site,such as DocuSign®, through which the pet owner can sign the insurancecontract electronically. In other embodiments, the contract is presentedto the user in a printable format, which the user can print, sign, andmail to complete the enrollment process.

In some embodiments, the graphical user interface of the pet managementapplication 222 is configured to provide the pet owner with the optionto enroll in auto-pay, enabling payment to occur seamlessly. In someembodiments, if a pet owner does not enroll in auto-pay, the petmanagement application 222 is configured to generate periodicnotifications for the pet owner to authorize payment or submit paymentof the owed premium amount.

In various embodiments having an insurance module 226, the petmanagement application 222 is configured to enable a pet owner to sharedocumentation with the insurance provider. For example, in someembodiments, veterinary bills imported into the mobile application bythe pet owner via a photograph may be submitted to the insuranceprovider as an insurance claim.

As stated above, the pet management application 222 of some embodimentsincludes a tracking module 228. The tracking module 228 of someembodiments is used in conjunction with a wireless pet tracker 130 tocollect, process, and/or display recorded data pertaining to a pet'senvironment and/or activities.

One embodiment of a pet tracker 400 for use in conjunction with the pettracking module 228 is provided in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the pettracker 400 is a device having one or more sensors, which is worn by apet. In some embodiments, the pet tracker may be worn on a vest oraround a leg of a pet. In other embodiments, the pet tracker 400 is wornon a collar 410 around the neck of the pet. As shown in the illustratedembodiment, the pet tracker 400 may be configured to attach to astandard or proprietary pet collar 410. In other embodiments, the pettracker 400 may be a collar with one or more sensors integrated therein.

A functional block diagram of one embodiment of a pet tracker isprovided in FIG. 5. While numbered uniquely, one skilled in the art willappreciate that the pet tracker 130 of FIG. 1 may be formed of anyembodiment of a pet tracker described herein and may include any of orall the functional components described with respect to the pet tracker500 of FIG. 5. Moreover, although illustrated separately, it is to beappreciated that the various functional blocks of the pet tracker 500need not be separate structural elements.

The pet tracker 500 of various embodiments includes a processor 520,which may be a general purpose microprocessor, a digital signalprocessor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic device,or other discrete computer-executable components designed to perform thefunctions described herein. The processor 520 may also be formed of acombination of computing devices, for example, a DSP and amicroprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitableconfiguration.

In various embodiments, the processor 520 is coupled, via one or morebuses, to the memory 510 in order to read information from and writeinformation to the memory 510. The processor 520 may additionally oralternatively contain memory 510. The memory 510 can include, forexample, processor cache. The memory 510 may be any suitablecomputer-readable medium that stores computer-readable instructions forexecution by computer-executable components. For example, thecomputer-readable instructions may be stored on one or a combination ofRAM, ROM, flash memory, EEPROM, hard disk drive, solid state drive, orany other suitable device. In various embodiments, the computer-readableinstructions include application software 512 stored in a non-transitoryformat. The software, when executed by the processor, causes theprocessor to perform one or more operations described elsewhere herein.

In various embodiments, a power supply, such as a battery 530, iselectrically coupled to provide power to the processor 520 and otherelectronic components. The battery 530 may be rechargeable ordisposable. Additionally, some embodiments of the pet tracker 500 mayinclude one or more signal processing components, such as a filter(e.g., low pass, high pass, or band pass filter), an amplifier, and ananalog-to-digital (AD) converter.

As shown, the pet tracker 500 of some embodiments includes one or moresensors 540 configured to detect signals indicative of a pet'senvironment or activity. For example, in some embodiments, the pettracker includes one or more of: an accelerometer 542, a gyroscope 544,a thermistor or other temperature-responsive sensor 546, and a GPSantenna 548. In some embodiments, the pet tracker 500 is configured todetect one or more of: a relative activity level of the pet, scratching,breathing, a heart beating, other repetitive motion of a pet, a suddenimpact, and an extreme temperature or extreme change in temperature, anda pet's location. In various embodiments, such pet monitoring data istransmitted from the pet tracker 500 to either the mobile computingdevice or the server, for example, via a communication antenna 550. Thepet monitoring data may then be processed by the mobile computing deviceor the server to generate useful information for a pet owner. In variousembodiments, the graphical user interface of the pet managementapplication on the mobile computing device is configured to displayvarious views of the useful information.

As one non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the pet trackerincludes a gyroscope 544 and/or an accelerometer 542 configured todetect changes in position, orientation, or acceleration. Changes inposition, orientation, or acceleration may be used by the pet managementapplication or server to detect if a pet is, at any point in time:highly active (e.g., running, swimming, or walking quickly), moderatelyactive (e.g., walking around at a normal to slow pace, for example,within the pet's home), or not active (e.g., sleeping, sitting, or lyingaround). One embodiment of a user interface displaying relative activitydata is shown in FIG. 6. Detected changes in acceleration may further becorrelated to, and be used to detect, repetitive motions. In someembodiments, the accelerometer 542 is sensitive enough to detect subtlemicro-movements caused by a beating heart or breathing and may be usedto monitor vital signs. In other embodiments, a heart rate monitor orpulse monitor may be present in the device. In some embodiments, rapidand/or frequent changes in acceleration and/or orientation in a pet'smovements, particularly when unaccompanied by forward progress, arecorrelated to, and used to detect, excessive and repetitive scratching.Such scratching may be indicative of fleas, ticks, a skin condition, oranxiety. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments,accelerometer signals are monitored for severe changes in accelerationindicative of an impact event. For example, in some embodiments, themobile computing device or server is configured to detect and alert apet owner, an insurer, or other party when an impact event, such as alarge fall (e.g., out of a tree) or being hit by a vehicle, hasoccurred.

In some embodiments, the pet tracker 500 includes a thermometer, athermistor, or other temperature-responsive sensor 546, which isconfigured to detect temperature or changes in temperature. Temperatureor changes in temperature may be correlated to, and used to detect,extreme temperature events. In particular, if a rapid rise intemperature is detected or a dangerous temperature threshold is crossed,the graphical user interface of the mobile computing device may beconfigured to generate an alert notifying a pet owner that the pet maybe in an unattended car or other space where unsafe conditions have beendetected. In some embodiments, the temperature-responsive sensor 546 isconfigured for use in determining if a pet has been left outdoors inconditions that are dangerously cold or dangerously hot for a pet.

The pet tracker 500 of some embodiments additionally includes a GPSantenna 548 that is wirelessly connectable to a GPS satellite andconfigured to identify a location of the pet. As with other embodiments,such information may be transmitted to the mobile computing device orthe server for processing and analysis, and the processed signals may betransmitted or utilized by the mobile computing device to display usefulinformation to a pet owner. In some embodiments, the graphical userinterface of the pet owner's mobile computing device is configured todisplay the current location of a pet and a log of previously detectedlocations of the pet. If a pet is on the move, a plot of the pet'slocation over time may be generated. One such plot is shown, as anexample, in the graphical user interface of FIG. 7. A log of pasttravels may also be accessible. A pet owner may use such information totrack a history of walks with his or her pet. Such a feature can also beextremely helpful in the event that a pet gets lost or runs away fromhome. In various embodiments, a user can track a pet's location tofacilitate finding the pet. Additionally, in some embodiments, a petowner can share the location plot with family, friends, neighbors,community members near where the pet was last seen, or others tofacilitate a community effort in finding the pet. Moreover, in someembodiments, a pet owner can set up a geo-fence, which is a virtualperimeter for a geographic area. A pet owner may choose to set thegeo-fence to match the boundaries of the pet owner's home, yard, orneighborhood, for example. If a pet travels beyond the defined geo-fenceboundaries, the mobile computing device may receive a signal and beconfigured to generate an alert notifying the pet owner.

In various embodiments, some of or all this data detected by the pettracker 500 is transmitted wirelessly, for example, via a communicationantenna 550, to the server for processing, analysis, and storage. Theprocessed data may be automatically pushed to the pet owner's mobilecomputing device or retrievable by the pet owner via the mobilecomputing device. The tracked data may be helpful to a pet owner andprovide new insights related to caring for the pet. In addition tosharing sensor information with a pet owner, the server of someembodiments also shares such information with an insurance provider forrisk and premium adjustment calculations to generate more personalizedinsurance packages, as described in more detail below.

In some embodiments provided herein, the server 120 is controlled,maintained, or owned by an insurance provider. In such embodiments, allpremium calculations, application processing, and claims processing mayoccur at the server 120. In other embodiments, premium calculations,application processing, and claims processing are performed by aseparate insurer computing device 150 in communication with the server120.

In various embodiments, the server 120, the additional user computingdevices 140, and the insurer computing device 150 each includes some ofor all the functional components described in relation to the mobilecomputing device 200 of FIG. 2. For example, each device includes aprocessor and memory having instructions stored thereon, whereinexecution of the instructions by the processor, cause the processor toperform a method, such as methods described elsewhere herein. Moreover,each of the server 120, additional user computing devices 140, andinsurer computing device 150 include a network interface for wirelesslyreceiving and transmitting data, and each computing device may includeor be coupled to an input device for receiving user inputs and an outputdevice for conveying information.

In various embodiments provided herein, each of the modules described inreference to FIG. 2, including the records management module 224, theinsurance module 226, and the tracking module 228, has both anapplication-side component residing in the mobile computing device 200and a server-side component residing on the memory of the server 120.

In some embodiments, the server 120 is configured to perform variousmethods pertaining to offering, providing, and adjusting insurance. Insome such embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the server 120 performsmethod 800. At block 810, the server 120 receives background data abouta pet from a pet owner via a user input through the pet owner's mobilecomputing device. The server 120 calculates a preliminary premium ratebased on the background data at block 820. For example, the server 120may contain an actuarial model used to determine a preliminary premiumrate based on information such as the pet's age, breed, relative healthstatus, proportion of time spent outdoors, vaccination record, fixedstatus, and the like. At block 830, the server 120 of variousembodiments transmits an insurance offering, which includes thepreliminary premium rate, to the mobile computing device of the petowner. The pet owner may then select an insurance offering for purchasethrough the graphical user interface of the mobile computing device. Theserver 120 is configured to receive, via signals transmitted by themobile computing device, a selection from the user to purchase aninsurance plan associated with the insurance offering, as shown at block840. In some embodiments, at block 850, the server 120 additionallyenrolls the user in the insurance plan. Such a process may involvegenerating forms or contracts for the pet owner to review, fill out,and/or sign. In a preferred embodiment, all such forms and contracts aretransmitted by the server 120 to the mobile computing device andformatted to be reviewed, completed, and signed by the owner through themobile application.

In some embodiments, the server 120 additionally receives pet monitoringdata for the pet from at least one sensor on a pet tracker, as shown atblock 860. The pet monitoring data may include any pet monitoring datadescribed above or any other detectable data. The pet monitoring datamay be used to verify the accuracy of previously submitted backgrounddata and/or supplement the background data. The server 120 of someembodiments is additionally programmed to adjust the preliminary premiumrate based on the pet monitoring data, as shown at block 870. Theadjustment process is performed by the server 120 by applying anactuarial model, which provides weights to various risk factors anddetermines a risk level of a pet based, at least in part, on thedetected environment and activity of the pet. As non-limiting examples,in some embodiments, a pet may be deemed to be a high risk pet if petmonitoring data indicates that the pet is left outside in extreme coldor hot conditions, is left in a hot car, is inactive, frequently escapesfrom its home, or resides in a location close to a busy street. Such apet may have its premium adjusted upwards. Other pets found to be highlyactive and living in comfortable and safe conditions may have theirpremiums adjusted downwards.

In some embodiments, the server 120 tracks and correlates data collectedfrom the pet tracker to health outcomes and health care costs forvarious pets. Over time, the collected data is expected to reveal new,less intuitive correlations between pet environment and activity andhealth care costs. Such correlations can be added into the actuarialmodel to further improve the accuracy of its risk assessments. Thecollected data will also provide additional data to known correlations,allowing the server to adjust the weightings of various risk factors toimprove accuracy of its models. In this way, the pet management systemof various embodiments may be used to refine and improve pet insuranceactuarial models.

In other embodiments, the method of offering, providing, and adjustinginsurance is performed by an entity unique from the entity maintainingthe server. In such embodiments, the server 120 acts as an intermediarybetween the insurance provider and the pet owner, and accordingly,between the insurer computing device 150 and the pet owner's mobilecomputing device 110.

In some such embodiments, the server 120 receives background data aboutthe pet from the pet owner via inputs into the mobile computing device110. The server 120 also transmits the background data to the insurercomputing device 150, enabling the insurer to calculate a preliminarypremium rate based on the background data and the insurer's proprietaryactuarial models. The server 120 also receives an insurance offeringfrom the insurer computing device 150 and presents the insuranceoffering to the pet owner for purchase via a user interface. Theinsurance offering of various embodiments is for an insurance planhaving the calculated preliminary premium rate.

In some embodiments, the server 120 may transmit the background data tomore than one insurer computing device. In such embodiments, a pluralityof insurance providers may compete for business, having the opportunityto each submit an insurance offering and associated preliminary premiumrate. In such embodiments, the server 120 receives an individualinsurance quote from each of the plurality of insurer computing devices150. In some embodiments, all insurance offerings may be transmitted tothe pet owner's mobile computing device 110 for display to, andselection by, a user. In other embodiments, the server 120 is configuredto curate the insurance offerings based, at least in part, on price andthe pet owner's insurance preferences. For example, one or a fewinsurance offerings may be chosen by the server 120, which provide thebest balance between low cost and user-preferred insurance features. Inother embodiments, the selected offerings may be ones that offer themost robust insurance coverage for the lowest relative cost. In suchembodiments, the server 120 transmits one or a limited selection of theinsurance offerings to the mobile computing device 110 for display to auser. In some embodiments, the server 120 or an administrator of theserver 120 may negotiate with one or more insurers to obtain the bestquote for the pet owner.

As shown in FIG. 9, in some embodiments having both a server 120 and aninsurer computing device 150, the server 120 performs method 900. Atblock 910, the server 120 receives pet monitoring data for a pet from atleast one sensor on a pet tracker 130. The pet monitoring data mayinclude any of the data discussed above or any additional, detectabledata of interest. At block 920, the server 120 of such embodimentstransmits pet monitoring information to one or more insurer computingdevices 150 associated with one or more insurance providers. The petmonitoring information may include all or a portion of the petmonitoring data. For example, the pet monitoring information may includea stream of all collected pet monitoring data, a stream of one or moreparameters of interest, an aggregation of pet monitoring data collectedin a given timeframe, an aggregation of pet monitoring data collectedfrom a population of pets, or plots, averages, or other metricscalculated from aggregate data. In some embodiments, the server 120processes and curates the large quantity of tracked data received fromvarious pet trackers and generates filtered or aggregated data that isof high value to one or more insurance providers. In some embodiments,the server 120 may transmit pet monitoring data associated with aparticular pet to the insurance provider of that pet. Additionally oralternatively, the server 120 may transmit de-identified pet monitoringdata collected for a particular population of pets over time to one or aplurality of pet insurance providers. The population of pets may be, forexample, a population based on pet species, breed, location ofresidence, fixed status, or any other demographic characteristic ofinterest. In such embodiments, the insurance providers may use thede-identified pet monitoring data to build and refine their ownactuarial models. The insurance providers may adjust a premium rate fora pet based on their modified actuarial models and/or based on the petmonitoring data received for a particular pet. In various embodiments,at block 930, the server 120 receives the adjusted premium rate for thepet from the insurer computing device 150 and transmits the adjustedrate to the pet owner via the mobile computing device 110. In someembodiments, the server 120 automatically adjusts the amount of auto-payamount a pet owner pays each month to match the adjusted premium rate.

These are just some of the methods and functions performed by the petmanagement system 100 of the present disclosure. The examples describedherein show, by way of illustration and not of limitation, specificembodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such thatmodifications may be made without departing from the scope of thisdisclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptationsor variations of various embodiments, and it will be readily apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art, in light of the teachings of theseembodiments, that numerous changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of individualizing pet insurancepremiums based on acquired pet monitoring data performed by a server ofa computing system, the method comprising: receiving pet monitoring datafor a pet from at least one sensor on a pet monitoring device worn bythe pet, wherein the pet monitoring data comprises a detected locationreceived from a GPS monitor and an activity level received from at leastone of a gyroscope or an accelerometer; transmitting pet monitoringinformation to an insurer computing device, wherein the pet monitoringinformation comprises at least a portion of the pet monitoring data;receiving background data about the pet via a user input or from the petmonitoring device, wherein the background data comprises at least oneof: an age, sex, breed, place of residence, proportion of time spentoutdoors, vaccine record, neuter record, preexisting health condition,other medical history, or owner insurance preference; transmitting thebackground data to the insurer computing device, wherein the petmonitoring data received from the pet monitoring device is used toverify or supplement the background data received from the user inputand wherein the insurer computing device calculates a preliminarypremium rate based on the background data; and receiving an adjustedpremium rate for the pet from the insurer computing device, wherein theadjusted premium rate is determined by the insurer computing device byadjusting the preliminary premium rate based on the pet monitoringinformation.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: presenting aninsurance offering to the user for purchase via a user interface,wherein the insurance offering comprises the preliminary premium rate.3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the background data tothe insurer computing device comprises transmitting the background datato a plurality of insurer computing devices, and wherein the methodfurther comprises: receiving an individual insurance quote from each ofthe plurality of insurer computing devices, and selecting the best quoteand corresponding preliminary premium rate to present to the user. 4.The method of claim 3, further comprising negotiating, with an insurer,the best quote on the user's behalf.
 5. The method of claim 2, whereinthe background data about the pet is manually entered by a user througha graphical user interface on a personal computing device.
 6. The methodof claim 2, wherein the background data about the pet is automaticallypulled from a web-based medical record or an image of a physical medicalrecord.
 7. The method of claim 2, further comprising: transmitting thepet monitoring information and the background data to an alternativeinsurer; receiving an alternative quote from the alternative insurer,wherein the alternative quote is determined based, at least in part, onthe pet monitoring information and the background data; comparing theadjusted insurance rate and the alternative quote to determine whichinsurance package is better for the user; and transferring the user'sinsurance coverage to the alternative insurer if the alternative quoteis better for the user than the adjusted insurance rate.
 8. The methodof claim 1, wherein the pet monitoring data further comprises extremetemperate event data, and wherein the extreme temperature event data isreceived from a thermistor or other temperature-responsive sensor. 9.The method of claim 1, wherein the pet monitoring data further comprisesimpact event data, and wherein the impact event data is received fromthe accelerometer.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pet monitoringdata further comprises a repetitive motion of the pet.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the repetitive motion is selected from a groupconsisting of: breathing, heart beating, and scratching.
 12. The methodof claim 1, wherein the pet monitoring information comprises acompilation of relevant pet monitoring data acquired over a period oftime.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pet monitoring informationfurther comprises an analysis of the pet monitoring data.
 14. The methodof claim 1, further comprising building an actuarial model based on thepet monitoring data.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method isrepeated periodically to update the adjusted premium rate based onrecently acquired pet monitoring data.
 16. A method of individualizingpet insurance premiums based on acquired pet monitoring data performedby a server of a computing system, the method comprising: receiving petmonitoring data for a pet from at least one sensor on a pet monitoringdevice worn by the pet, wherein the pet monitoring data comprises adetected location received from a GPS monitor and an activity levelreceived from at least one of a gyroscope or an accelerometer;transmitting pet monitoring information to an insurer computing device,wherein the pet monitoring information comprises at least a portion ofthe pet monitoring data; receiving background data about the pet thatcomprises at least one of: an age, sex, breed, place of residence,proportion of time spent outdoors, vaccine record, neuter record,preexisting health condition, other medical history, or owner insurancepreference, wherein the background data is received from the petmonitoring device or automatically pulled from a web-based medicalrecord or an image of a physical medical record; transmitting thebackground data to the insurer computing device, wherein the petmonitoring data received from the pet monitoring device is used toverify or supplement the background data, and wherein the insurercomputing device calculates a preliminary premium rate based on thebackground data; and receiving an adjusted premium rate for the pet fromthe insurer computing device, wherein the adjusted premium rate isdetermined by the insurer computing device by adjusting the preliminarypremium rate based on the pet monitoring information.
 17. A method ofindividualizing pet insurance premiums based on acquired pet monitoringdata performed by a server of a computing system, the method comprising:receiving pet monitoring data for a pet from at least one sensor on apet monitoring device worn by the pet, wherein the pet monitoring datacomprises a detected location received from a GPS monitor and anactivity level received from at least one of a gyroscope or anaccelerometer; transmitting pet monitoring information to an insurercomputing device, wherein the pet monitoring information comprises atleast a portion of the pet monitoring data; receiving background dataabout the pet via a user input or from the pet monitoring device,wherein the background data about the pet comprises at least one of: anage, sex, breed, place of residence, proportion of time spent outdoors,vaccine record, neuter record, preexisting health condition, othermedical history, or owner insurance preference; transmitting thebackground data to the insurer computing device, wherein the petmonitoring data received from the pet monitoring device is used toverify or supplement the background data received from the user input,and wherein the insurer computing device calculates a preliminarypremium rate based on the background data; receiving an adjusted premiumrate for the pet from the insurer computing device, wherein the adjustedpremium rate is determined by the insurer computing device by adjustingthe preliminary premium rate based on the pet monitoring information;and adjusting an auto-pay amount associated with the preliminary premiumrate to correspond to the adjusted premium.
 18. The method of claim 17,wherein the pet monitoring data further comprises extreme temperateevent data, and wherein the extreme temperature event data is receivedfrom a thermistor or other temperature-responsive sensor.
 19. The methodof claim 17, wherein the pet monitoring data further comprises impactevent data, and wherein the impact event data is received from theaccelerometer.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising buildingan actuarial model based on the pet monitoring data.